2020 Kia Sportage debuts with updated styling and a lot more tech
Kia's refreshed compact crossover largely stays the course.
Kia's Sportage SUV is about due for a midcycle refresh, and nowhere do midcycle refreshes shine quite like the Chicago Auto Show .
The Sportage has always been one of the more weirdly styled crossovers in the compact set, with its distinctively European nose. (If you told us this was a new Citroën, we might believe you.) For the 2020 model year, the Sportage gets new headlights, redesigned foglights, an updated front grille and tweaked taillights. LED headlights and foglights are available as options.
Inside, the Sportage largely stays the course, with a nicely organized and well-appointed cabin. Kia says it'll now offer Sofino leatherette seating surfaces, for whatever that's worth, and all models benefit from an 8-inch touchscreen as standard equipment, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto built in.
An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard on all Sportage trims.
Perhaps the biggest update for the 2020 Sportage comes on the tech front, where a number of driver assistance technologies are now available. The optional goodies include a driver attention warning system, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go ability, forward collision assist with pedestrian detection and high-beam headlight assist. Inside, owners can opt for a wireless smartphone charging tray.
Otherwise, it's business as usual over in Sportageland, though a new S trim is added to the existing LX, EX and SX variants. Base models come with a 2.4-liter, naturally aspirated I4 engine with 181 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque, while high-end Sportages are available with a 2.0-liter turbo engine, with a much healthier 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Every Sportage comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, and both front- and all-wheel drive are available.
Following its debut at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show this week, the 2020 Sportage will hit Kia showrooms in "the first half of 2019," according to the automaker's statement. Pricing will be available closer to its on-sale date, and we don't expect that to change too much, either.
